


things left unsaid

by sionnacha



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Camping, F/F, Guilt, Huddling For Warmth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24389614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sionnacha/pseuds/sionnacha
Summary: Mikasa cannot sleep. Outside the wind screeches and howls, it drags its talons along the fabric of the tent, causing the infrastructure to creak at the joints, the guy wires to strain, all as the rain patters, then pelts against it.This was a terrible idea on Shadis’ behalf—sending the trainee corps into the wilderness on a weekend like this, it doesn’t help that Mikasa is not so fond of the company she’s keeping as well. She had hoped to be paired with Eren or Armin, but they were both paired with Reiner and Jean respectively, and now she was cooped up in a tent with Annie of all people.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart
Comments: 11
Kudos: 195





	things left unsaid

**Author's Note:**

> First appeared in 'mixtapes'.

Mikasa cannot sleep. Outside the wind screeches and howls, it drags its talons along the fabric of the tent, causing the infrastructure to creak at the joints, the guy wires to strain, all as the rain patters, then pelts against it.

This was a terrible idea on Shadis’ behalf—sending the trainee corps into the wilderness on a weekend like this, it doesn’t help that Mikasa is not so fond of the company she’s keeping as well. She had hoped to be paired with Eren or Armin, but they were both paired with Reiner and Jean respectively, and now she was cooped up in a tent with Annie of all people.

Even though she’s not fond of the company, she can at least admit that Annie has been tolerable; her answers in straightforward and she doesn’t talk too much, plus, her skills have been incredibly useful thus far. Earlier in the day she had shot a pheasant, bringing it back for them to eat; Mikasa had plucked and prepared it, all the memories of her father and mother rushing back to her as Annie quietly observed, honing the blade of a knife on steel.

They had eaten in silence, mostly, only ever exchanging words about the mission at hand and what their next plan of action was. Mikasa suggested that they travel through the night and make it to the finish, wanting to get back to Eren and Armin, but Annie insisted that they camp: the weather would be too bad to travel in. Annoyance had welled up in her, but she supposed that Annie had a point—it would be too risky to travel during a storm. It was better to get back in one piece, than to not get back at all.

So, here they were, lying side by side, sharing warmth in a cramped space whilst bluster spun around them.

“Why do you cling to him?” 

The query makes Mikasa stiffen where she lies, then rolls over to face Annie’s back; it wasn’t so much of a strange question, she had been asked many times before by other people, but especially Eren, but coming from Annie it was… Peculiar.

“We,” she pauses, thinking of an answer, thinking that she doesn’t really want to tell her the truth about what brought them together. “We’re childhood friends.”

Annie grunts, as if unbelieving, then turns over to face her, something written on her face that Mikasa can’t identify; it looks like irritation mostly, but the ways that her eyes soften take Mikasa aback, and she almost forgets for a moment about the guttural howl of the wind, the non-stop lashings of rain.

“You’re a terrible liar,” she says quietly, blonde strands of hair falling over the curve of her nose; eyes looking anywhere but Mikasa. “I heard some rumours about Eren killing men to save you.”

“You don’t know anything about us,” Mikasa snaps, eyes narrowing as she closes in over Annie, the other girl merely staring back, as if not being able to comprehend Mikasa’s sudden outburst, her own throat bobbing when she swallows whatever she was going to say.

“My parents are dead. He’s all the family I have left.”

Annie hesitates to answer, and Mikasa can see she’s biting her tongue.

“Sorry.”

Mikasa exhales sharply through her nose and rolls back over on her side, keenly aware that Annie’s eyes are still fixated on her back. She dismisses the burgeoning heat in her cheeks as a result of being too warm, but that makes no sense, since she’s shivering under the thin fabric of her sleeping bag.

“You’re shaking,” Annie says matter-of-factly, voice cutting through the tension like a hot knife through butter. She shuffles behind Mikasa, until the other girl stops her. 

“What are you doing?” She hisses, back still to Annie and the heat still rising in her cheeks as the blonde girl stills, a hand resting on Mikasa’s hip. Annie ignores her and persists anyway, opening her sleeping bag and pulling Mikasa to her, hands clasping over her stomach. “You’re going to get hypothermia, shut up.”

Annie is warm and Mikasa hates it. She eventually relaxes in Annie’s hold, trying not to think about how being held like this is so _nice_. 

The wind and rain tempers after a few more minutes, and Mikasa finds herself being able to relax properly, finally closing her eyes, hoping that she’ll get some sleep before the morning comes. 

“Mikasa?” Annie whispers, and Mikasa is aware just how loud she sounds after everything has died down. She doesn’t answer back, feigning sleep, hoping that Annie would just be quiet so that they could both get some shut eye. Instead, she feels Annie press her forehead into her nape, her nose nudging against her, hands tightening over her abdomen protectively.

“I’m sorry,” she says quietly, the timbre of her voice muted, a current of pain running through. Mikasa’s goes to speak, but is cut off by the blonde once again, so instead, she stays muted. “I’m sorry for everything.”

Mikasa is forced to ignore just how cryptic that sounds—what qualifies as everything? What did she even mean by that? Everything that happened with her and Eren? Everything that had yet to transpire?

… And still, she could not bring herself to speak up; afraid of what would happen if she let curiosity get the better of her. So she says nothing, ignoring how her chest physically aches at the quiet gravitas in Annie’s voice, ignoring Annie’s comforting touch.

Annie is hurting, and Mikasa doesn’t know why.

-

They make it to the finish point the next day, coming in first, followed shortly by Sasha and Marco, then Jean and Armin. Reiner and Eren arrive in fifth, and Mikasa could not be more grateful to see him and Armin alive and well, even if they were both covered in dirt and scrapes.

“Good work,” Annie says to her, the pair of them sat side-by-side downing canisters of water as they watch their comrades cheer each other as they cross over the line. Mikasa lets a small smile slip over her face as she watches Reiner take Eren in a headlock and lovingly fluff his hair.

“Thank you for last night,” Mikasa says, turning to look at Annie, who, to her surprise, is already gazing at her. “I would’ve frozen up if it were not for you.”

Annie smiles—and a smug smile it is—and for the first time, Mikasa can see the bravado. It’s obnoxious and arrogant. She can feel herself bristle; it makes her want to punch or kiss her, and she thinks that she would like to do both.

“Mikasa!”

They both turned to see Armin and Eren coming towards Mikasa, chattering excitedly as they did so. It’s as if Annie takes it as her que to leave—downing her canister in one fell swoop, before getting up and walking away from the trio.

Mikasa watches her go, half listening to Eren and Armin, watching as she disappears into one of the standalone cabins where they would be staying, shoulders sullen as she is followed by Reiner and Bert chatting amongst themselves. But still, she wondered what she meant when she apologised—she wasn’t about to bring it up again, figuring that it was best left buried, but the question still burned.

_‘What are you sorry for?’_


End file.
